My Friends: A Novel

Read a few pages and went and got sticky notes for a return trip. I laughed, I cried. Childhood, sarcasm, wonder, pain, spirituality. This is my favorite fiction story ever. It resonates in places I didn’t know existed. Conversation at book club tonight. We are all different book people with all our likes and dislikes but I used up the whole stack of sticky notes.

A friend of mine recommended this book. It was fabulous. Definitely in my top five books of the year. The story is simple and sweet and alternated between the present and twenty five years ago, when four friends grew up together the year they turned 14. With a gift worth a fortune, one of the friends adds an 18 year old woman into the mix of memories past and today's challenges. What sets this book apart is how deeply resonating each of the characters is at both fourteen and forty. Each one of the protagonists made me laugh out loud as well as made me cry. There are profound observations, pithy quotes and insanely silly, funny jokes. There is also the kindness of strangers and the cruelty of a world peopled with the broken. This book is a gift to all. If I could give it 10 stars, I would but, instead, I will just say that you should do yourself a favor and read this book!

Very good book about what it means to truly love despite circumstances.

I’ve been a fan of Fredrik Backman ever since I first read A Man Called Ove. He has this gift for creating characters who feel so achingly human that you can’t help rooting for them. My Friends continues that tradition in a beautiful, funny, and deeply moving way. This story follows Louisa, an aspiring artist, who notices something most people overlook—three tiny figures at the edge of a pier in a famous painting. Her curiosity sparks a journey into the past, where we learn about four teenagers whose summer friendship becomes a lifeline in the middle of their difficult lives. What starts as shared jokes and small acts of rebellion turns into something far bigger: a friendship that shapes not only their futures but Louisa’s as well, twenty-five years later. Backman balances heartbreak with humor in a way few authors can. One moment you’re laughing out loud at a sarcastic quip, and the next you’re wiping away tears as these characters face the weight of broken homes, lost dreams, and the fragile hope of connection. The novel is bittersweet, but it never tips too far into despair—there’s always a thread of love, resilience, and beauty running through it. What I loved most is how Backman makes you care about every character, no matter how flawed. He reminds us that even small, forgotten corners of life—like three kids sitting on the edge of a pier—can hold entire worlds of meaning. This book isn’t just about art or friendship; it’s about how the people we meet, sometimes by chance, shape us in ways we never forget. If you’ve enjoyed Beartown or Anxious People, you’ll find a similar mix of humor, heartbreak, and humanity here. And if you’re new to Backman, My Friends is a perfect place to start. Just be ready to laugh, cry, and see your own friendships in a new light.

I have read absolutely every one of Fredrik Backman's books. I cannot give you a favorite. He has a way of writing that captivates and is truly amazing. I have to admit, My Friends, took a while to "get going" for me. This is a past and present story where it jumps back and forth. The premise is a "bit" far fetched, however, it is a work of fiction. Eventually, you really start getting into all the characters and story line. Louisa is by far the stand out here, followed by Joar IMO. The "past" part of the book, finds kids that would crumple to nothing due to their individual lives, but as a group of friends, they support each other and manage to drive through all the bitterness of life. Adults let them down left and right, as adults do, but their bond weathers it all. In the "present" , the "past" is told by Ted to Louisa , whose effervescent, and bold personality just blows off the pages. Her likening to Ali, one of the friends from the past, is unmistakable. Five misunderstood, misguided and left behind kids, from two generations, who all manage to claw their way to some version of happiness. This story will sit in my heart like all of Backman's books do. It has some of the strongest characters he has developed which makes for one GREAT story! Definitely recommend.

This is one of those books I didn't just read, I savored it. I'd read other books by Fredrik Backman so I knew what a good writer he is. He introduces us to the characters in a natural way and develops them so that we see their hearts and souls and know the best things and the worst things about them all. We really get to know all of them, not just one or two main characters. This book is about humanity and is full of heart and love of humanity, as if it was written about real people who really did all these things (and maybe it was). It started great so I started reading fast, enjoying it. I slowed way down near the end because I just really didn't want it to end. Not at all. It was a good ending, I just didn't want it to come. The book's that good. Oh, and all throughout are the most creative turns of phrases, what a great writer he is.

“Art teaches us to mourn for strangers.” This is exactly what this book did for me. I mourn for all the characters, what they went through, what they couldn’t accomplish, what could have been and what it actually was. There are so many quotes that I highlighted throughout this story that I won’t have enough strength to go through all of them. Backman did it again, and this book, these characters, this story were something else. I laughed, I cried, I was angry, I was happy, then I mourned… Words can’t help me articulate how deeply I was affected by all the characters here. Joar, The Artist, Ali, Ted, Louisa, Fish, Christian, Christian’s mom, Joar’s and the others’ parents, even the cat and the bird The author created a beautifully dysfunctional, yet brilliant masterpiece that will stay with me for a very long time. This is a story about friendship, about dysfunctional families, passion, compassion, learning how to trust others and learning how to let go. But there is so much more to it. This book has to be experienced, not only read. It will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions, it will make you want to punch some of the characters in the face, and it will make you want to give others the biggest hug and take them in and protect them at all costs. If you are a parent like me, this book hits different. And I have only admiration for those parents who do their best for their children; however, this also highlights how cruel we can be. How broken our system is, and that it is more convenient to close our eyes, block our ears and shut our mouths before the cruelties we see, instead of actually doing something to prevent a tragedy from happening. I cannot stress enough how difficult it was to read some of the passages, but I am so damn glad I did because I wouldn’t have had the chance to experience how beautiful it would be later. Here, I should say, the writing was delightful. Backman has this way of painting a picture with a pen so haunting and yet so delicate, that it leaves you breathless just by reading it. It delivers gut wrenching proses, yet the very next thing he shows you is hope and perseverance. He is a master of poetic and delightfully written stories, and I am all here for it. Fredrik Backman writes = me byung and reading it all. I consume his content like a starving animal who needs to feel loved and protected but also needs some tough love. Do with that information what you will! There were some minor issues I had with certain characters’ actions and behaviour, or rather, what they didn’t do. However, in retrospect, this is exactly why I loved this book so much: doing stupid things or saying stupid things is what makes us human. Sometimes we make poor decisions and should know better, but we still do them anyway. Out of fear, out of despair, or due to something else entirely. Who am I to judge? I am not perfect, either; everyone is flawed, and this is what makes us who we are. This is no way to provide a justification for those horrible things some of these humans did; no, it is merely a view of how I see us, ordinary people. Without spoiling anything for those of you who are planning on reading this one, just keep in mind that this is not a light book. It will trigger something primitive in you, it will make you smile and laugh, but the very next chapter, it will make you rage and want to punch a lot of characters. Mostly the kind bystanders, because those are even worse than the monsters themselves. “Fish always said that kind people were the worst, because at least with mean people you know what you’re dealing with. There’s no limit to how dangerous someone who seems kind can be.”

Incredible. Just incredible. I cried and laughed all at the same time and finished the book in a day. Couldn’t put it down.

Very sensible. Touching

Bien. Libro entretenido, pero no me acabó de gustar cómo se desarrolla la historia. Otros libros del autor me gustaron mucho más, siento que en este se repite en exceso.

Even better the second time around! Such a great read. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I really love Backman’s writing, funny, irreverent and irresistible !